The Butterfly Effect
by molly makeout
Summary: Prom night ends tragically when East High's Prom Queen is murdered. Seven years later, the Prom King's still not over it. Given the opportunity to turn back time and change the outcome of events that night, Troy struggles to deal with the consequences.
1. Prom

**AN:** Not exactly sure if I'm going to continue with this, but I'll just put it out there anyway.

**Summary:** Prom night ends with a tragedy as East High's prom queen is brutally murdered. Seven years later and the Prom King's still not over it. Given the opportunity to turn back time and change the outcome of events that night, Troy Bolton struggles to deal with the consequences brought on by those minor changes.

* * *

The Butterfly Effect

_**June 6th, 2008**_

_Blinding camera flashes, satin prom dresses, beautiful ball gowns, fancy suits and tuxedos, cheery laughter and giggles haunted that despicable night. Crowds of hormone-ridden teenagers gathered by the entrance to the Lava Spring ballroom; their faces radiated pure innocence and cheer. _Click, click, click,_ the sound of cameras immortalizing the night they were all waiting for rang out through the crowd._

_No one expected the shrill screams that night, no one expected to see the blood._

_Among the five hundred seniors, one of them wore a facade, masking his or her true intentions. Among the crowd there was a murderer._

_As the clock struck midnight, one girl's fairytale ending was put to a fatal halt. As expected, Gabriella Montez was proclaimed Prom Queen alongside her blue-eyed boyfriend of a year and a half, Troy Bolton. East High's power couple was a favorite to be crowned that evening, and so they were. For the two lovestruck teenagers, the day symbolized the ending of their old life as high school sweethearts and the beginning of their life in the real world as struggling college students separated by 39.2 miles._

_But someone out there in the crowd wanted her crown. Blinded by jealousy and spurred by the immense hatred for the innocent girl, someone out there wanted her to die. What was meant to be the most magical night turned into a nightmare for most East High students, forever tainting the innocence of every student who attended the Prom. That night, East High lost a student, a best friend, a daughter, a Valedictorian, a lover._

_No one knew the culprit by name. The dark shadow that cornered down Gabriella Montez at approximately 12:07 A.M. remained unknown._

_All anyone knew was that the murderer concealed his or her tracks all too well. The case went on for months; every student, staff member, or chaperone in the ballroom became a suspect, but a culprit was never found. And for the rest of their lives, students remembered the presence of a murderer in their graduating class and no one ever forgot the infamous night when Gabriella Montez was mercilessly stabbed before her throat was slit._

_What a shame it was, the girl with the 4.0 GPA, a full ride to Stanford, and a loving boyfriend was robbed of the chance to experience life to its fullest. All the plans and hushed whispers of what the future would hold for Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez came to a tragic closure as time ran out that night. It was significant to note that although only one life came to an end that night, another life was drastically impacted as well. A heart was permanently broken - a heart that never healed again._

_The Three Fates in the Underworld decided her time elapsed and cruelly cut her thread of life, unaware of the tremendous impact it would have on the lives of everyone who knew her._

_Her shrill screams from that night - oh, what a shame... if only someone heard her plea for help and rushed to her rescue sooner._

If only he could erase the past_, the blue-eyed man wished._


	2. Gizmos Inc

**The Butterfly Effect:** metaphor that encapsulates the idea that if one were to make small changes, while going back to the past, the resulting changes to the present would be large and various.

* * *

_**June 6, 2015**_

"On behalf of Gizmos Inc's fifth year running, we welcome you all to the screening today to present our newest gadget that is sure to be a hit. In honor of Gizmos Inc's birthday, we present to you only our latest work in today's cutting edge technology. The product is not expected to go into sales until 2018 at the earliest, but let us look upon this as... a test-run."

The blue-eyed man maintained direct eye contact with the crowd, his velvet voice rippling through the air as he delivered his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Gizmos Inc would like to present to you... Smatch V 1.0," The sandy-haired man of approximately twenty-five years of age lifted the gadget onto the display as the camera crew shifted across the stage, filming up close and exclusive footage of the latest invention in digital technology that immensely interested the general public.

The crowd sharply drew in their breaths at the simplicity in the outward appearance of the gadget. It looked sleek and trendy - a seemingly simple, thin strip of metal (it came in approximately 250 different shade colors, allowing the product to be customized to the satisfaction of its owner) with numerous buttons that activated applications on the watch. Gasps and whispers from the the crowd echoed through the walls of Gizmos Inc Headquarters.

"If you were rendered speechless when you caught sight of our other works in progress - such as the color-emitting, perfume-emitting jeans, the interactive running shoes with the GPS navigational system, and the multimedia networking electrical appliances in our Kitchen of 2015 - then prepare to be dazzled by the astonishing apps and capabilities of the Smatch V 1.0."

The man's voice was deep and clear, but something in the tone of his voice implied that beneath this exterior lay a broken man.

"The Smatch is a spin on your everyday watch with the addition of other useful components. Its color defined touch screen, high-speed Wi-Fi capability, 5G network, customability, GPS navigation, interactive games, live television, weather updates, mp3 player, traffic reports, email capabilities, Instant Messaging. On top of it all, it is powered by an advanced lithium ion battery, prolonging the battery power to ten times the longevity. In addition, it recharges by itself, saving you from the nuisance. With the lithium phosphate outer material, expect an enhanced lifespan and faster recharge!"

"Smatch V 1.0 has the ability to replace any mobile phone as well as any of Apple's current products like the Fourth generation iPad, iBoard, and iMat. With the simple press of a button, you are able to activate a holagram that lists several of your applications. Smatch V 1.0's impressive sensory recognition is sure to recognize your movements, allowing you to simply point at an application listen on the holagram, and Smatch V 1.0 will load it."

The blue-eyed man demonstrated the basic functions of the Smatch V 1.0 with the press of a button, which activated a 360 degree 3D holagraphic display. The man used his index finger to point at the Weather app, which he Smatch V 1.0 instantly recognized and loaded. The holagram displayed a Weatherman reciting the forecast for the day.

"The forecast for June 6th 2015 as of 1:21 P.M. is as follows:" The melodic voice of the Weatherman in the holographic demonstration rang out. "It is a gloomy and mostly rainy day here in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Scattered clouds loom over us for the majority of the day and there is a chance of thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Residents of Santa Fe must be aware that New Mexico is currently under a storm watch for the majority of the day."

_It seemed so fitting,_ The blue-eyed man thought. _The worst day of the year was always murky and dreary. _June 6th's forecast had not been sunny in almost seven years.

Albeit his reminiscing and the horrid memories that traveled back into his mind, the man managed to continue with his presentation.

"Smatch V 1.0's impeccable holographic setting gives you the most realistic interactive gaming that America has ever seen. It makes those music videos that you love to watch all the more up close and personal. This interactive system gives you the feeling that you are practically _in_ the music video."

To portray the the high definition quality of music videos, the man pointed at the Music Player and said, "Smatch V 1.0, testing launch music video _Never Too Old_ by Madonna."

Instantly, the holographic screen simmered and reassembled once again with a 3D version of a 58-year-old Madonna dancing and belting out the lyrics of a song about youth and cougars. The crowd gazed in awe at the realism of the demonstration, resuming their chatter.

The man then minimized the application before pointing at the _Entertainment News Today_ application. The hologram simmered once more as it began reloaded and finally reassembled with a 3D view of a perky fake blonde chattering about the latest gossip in Hollywood. The blue-eyed man took a double take as he recognized the blonde; it was the one and only Sharpay Evans whose career on Broadway or in Hollywood never really took off despite a couple films that went straight out to DVD. Apparently, she now spent her time reporting on the latest, juiciest celebrity gossip.

"The latest in breaking news today is that Miley Cyrus gave birth to her third baby today - Becky Sue Montana! Congratulations to the Cyrus family! The identity of the father remains unknown."

The man switched the channel to a local news coverage in New Mexico. This time it was a redhead who he did not recognize reporting on less superficial topics and more worldly news.

"Today marks the anniversary of the brutal murder of an Albuquerque teenager almost seven years ago. To this day, the mystery as to how Miss Gabriella Montez, who was merely seventeen years old at the time of her death, was killed remains. There were not enough leads to trace the killer many years ago and despite efforts by many Albuquerque residents to reopen this case, it is unfortunate that our lack of funding prevents this from happening. Now onto more significant news...The supply of freshwater is rapidly declining across our country. Unless immediate action is taken, we may no longer have an abundance of unpolluted water within the next decade."

As the man exited out of the application, he stood in shock from the newscast, his body immobile. The general public and his coworkers fixated their gazes upon him, steadily waiting for him to continue with the presentation. He was fairly new to Gizmos Inc, and an organized and well-delivered speech could do wonders for his job and perhaps gain him some recognition from his coworkers who still saw him as the newbie.

The man heard the whisper of his coworker, reminding him about the next aspect of his presentation. The man tried to snap out of his daze and regain his focus as he drew in a heavy breath.

With one look at the multicursal maze of mirrors that was set up on the other side of the stage (assembled for another presentation by his coworker that would soon follow after his), he felt himself begin to panic. His throat felt dry and his breathing became uneven when he caught sight of a reflection of a person who was no longer alive and had not been for seven years. He began to panic once he realized that he must be hallucinating.

He felt himself lost in a mirror labyrinth, an intricate maze of confusion. Every corner and crevice that he glanced at, he spotted mirrors and multiple reflections of his surroundings and_ her._ He felt his breath hitch and his body stiffen as his mind played tricks on him while staring at distorted mirrors. The reflections in the mirrors were haunting him - he saw the reflections of individuals from his past in the mirrors. Beads of sweat began forming atop his forehead as he felt his body quiver from intense heat. Suddenly, the noise of the background faded and time began to slow down. His vision grew hazy and fuzzy, and he lost the feeling in his legs. Within moments, the blue-eyed man lost conscious and tumbled onto the ground with a thump.

Then he was trapped in a dark abyss.

* * *

**AN:** I hope you guys are intrigued by this so far. I know it may be rather confusing at the moment, but that's the point. :) This is unlike anything that I have ever written previously but I must admit - I had a blast writing it and imagining the future five years from now. Please let me know if I should continue or focus more on this story. And thank you for all your feedback!


	3. Trapped

**The Butterfly Effect:** metaphor that encapsulates the idea that if one were to make small changes, while going back to the past, the resulting changes to the present would be large and various.

* * *

**June 6th, 2015  
**

He felt himself falling into a bottomless pit, stripped of all his sensory abilities. Unable to see, smell, or touch, he could only focus on the breeze slipping through his clawing fingers, frantically searching for physical material to latch onto and break his fall. Unable to reach out for anything solid, he relaxed his tense muscles and resignedly let himself wait for the inevitable.

"Mr. Bolton...Mr. Bolton..." croaked an unrecognizable voice. He struggled mid-air in search for the source of noise.

"Mr. Bolton, are you all right?" The voice rang out once more as the man struggled through his fall, desperately groping for any solid matter. The man swung his body leftward, his shaking hand extending toward another area until he felt a pulse of pain rush to his hand as his hand collided with an unknown object, presumably matter that stopped his fall. As soon as he came in contact with the matter, the feeling of the fall came to a halt and his eyes shot open.

The first thing he noticed was rolls of fat - _lots_ of them as his eyes settled on his Assistant practically straddling him down against the floor. He fell into a coughing fit and made an effort to shake her off. It proved to be successful when she released her grip on him and removed her chubby hands from his chest.

Once she climbed off of him, Troy blinked a numerous amount of times until coming to the realization that he was in fact no longer falling in a timeless continuum. His pupils contracted as they came into the light and he recognized the outline of his trusted coworker and friend - Jason Cross.

"Troy, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Troy's expression contorted into a grimace before he set his jaw, "I can see fine, Jason."

With the realization that he was lying down on his back in the middle of the floor, Troy propped up his elbows to arch his back and struggled to lift himself up off the solid marble ground. He felt the sharp pain of a migraine in the back of his head as he rubbed his forehead.

"What the hell happened to me," He wondered aloud, "I feel like I just fell off a cliff."

"You fainted," Another coworker supplied the useful bit of information as he handed Troy a glass of water. Troy gladly accepted it, muttering a quick thanks before downing the liquid.

"Do you want another glass? How are you feeling?"

"No, thank you. I'll be fine," He replied, eager to their attention off his back. He could only imagine how pissed his boss must have been for his failure to complete the presentation. So much for that promotion he sought...

"Do you have Eisoptrophobia by any chance, Mr. Bolton?" His personal assistant Nikki - an overweight brown-haired woman in her early twenties who was previously on top of him questioned. She was assigned to the task of helping him manage his affairs and schedule his appointments and meetings.

Troy didn't bother to hide his chagrin at Nikki's tactless efforts to once again dig deep into his personal business.

Noticing his confusion, Nikki continued in obvious oblivion at his utter annoyance with her straying from the task of her job.

"It's the fear of mirrors, Mr. Bolton. I was keeping a _very_ close watch on you during your presentation - which was absolutely fantastic, by the way - and noticed you freeze up when you looked at the labyrinth set up for Mr. Cross' presentation. I just want you to know that I'm _always_ hear for you and your problems, Mr. Bolton."

Troy wished nothing more than for the woman to stop her mindless chatter and stop her ridiculous insinuation that he had a phobia of mirrors. He didn't _fear_ mirrors, he feared the haunting faces that he saw reflected in those mirrors. In other words, his mind was playing dirty tricks on him and it sent him into a shock.

"Thank you for your concern, Ms. Blonski. But I'm afraid the subject matter of my personal health should not be your prime concern and I would appreciate it if in the future, you would keep your mind focused on your task at hand."

With that, he brushed the dust from the ground off of himself and stood on both of his feet. He pushed past her, entering backstage and searching for a nearby couch to rest at while he regained his composure.

He made an effort to stifle his groan as Nikki wobbled over, following him like a lost puppy. He increased the tempo of his speed walking as he maneuvered through rooms in the backstage area, hoping to get rid of her at his tail.

"Bolton!" The harsh voice of his boss - CEO of Gizmos Inc - protruded through the air. Troy gulped as he closed his eyes, preparing himself for the worst. Facing the inevitable lecture, he swiveled his body around and looked down to face his dreadful boss. Although he was taller than his boss by at least a foot, the man had a Napoleonic complex that made him feared by every worker including Troy. It could not be denied that there was something terrifying in the personality of the few who suffered from dwarfism.

"What the hell was that, Bolton?" shrieked his boss in a squeaky voice. "Do you realize what your fainting has down to our rep? Bad publicity on us, Bolton!"

Troy took a deep breath, calming his demeanor before responding. "I'm sorry about that, sir. I - I was not feeling well-"

His boss' nostrils flared dangerously. "Do you think I _care_ about your feelings? The only thing _I_ care about, Bolton, is the product and that it will be a success once it hits the market. And _you_ didn't even finish the presentation. You're a disappointment and _disgrace_ to this company, Bolton."

Troy resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the bipolar side of his boss protruded. His co-workers all received this same lecture on a weekly basis, and within hours, Boss would forget ever uttering these words. He was certain that his boss would not hold a grudge against him for this for too long, and he certainly could not fire a worker for fainting, but one thing was definite - he certainly would not be getting that promotion.

"Now get the hell outta my sight, Bolton," The midget finished with a snarl, shoving past Troy. Troy shook his head and finally rolled his eyes when he was certain that he was out of Boss' range of sight - which was minimal anyway due to his height.

The next person he ran into was Jason, to which he relinquished a sigh of relief. Finally, someone he could actually confide to who would not throw herself at him or blame him for screwing up the presentation.

Jason approached him, patting him on the back. "Man, are you okay?"

Troy bit his lip, shaking his head no. "You know I'm never okay on this day, Jase."

Jason nodded his head in understanding, shooting him a weak encouraging smile. "None of us are. I-I heard the news coverage. Seven years, man... and I still can't believe it."

Troy merely shrugged just as he did every year. As everyone he knew told him, it was unhealthy to still be hung up over an old girlfriend's death seven years after it occurred. Despite his better judgment, everyone who never personally knew Gabriella Montez managed to convince him that there was something irrational about his behavior on this day every year. Not to mention, they hinted that he may or not be insane for not being able to move on and come to grip with the past. He couldn't help it, though. She had come and gone, taking a part of him with her at the onset of her departure.

As much as it pained him to admit it, he doubted that he would ever be able to regain that part of him that he lost nor would he ever truly get over what pained him the most - the heartbreak and the guilt that he _could _have done something to prevent his life from crashing down.

Behind every thought and action that he committed over the years, _she _was always never far behind. His mind never lingered too long without the thought of her coming across his mind. He was hopelessly, irrevocably still in love with his deceased High School sweetheart and the thought of her still haunted him wherever he went. Time never seemed to change an inkling of his feelings for her, and he believed that it never would.

"I got a new assistant. I had to let Debra go - Kels was convinced that Deb had a thing for me," Jason chuckled drily. "So it was either let the leggy blonde go or suffer the wrath of the wife. Go figure."

Jason's voice broke Troy's thoughts as he finally cracked a smile. The moment lasted a short amount of time before Troy's thoughts drifted back to his own leggy brunette that he once had. Jason and Kelsi had been married for about a year now as well as his best friend and Gabriella's old best friend. Every now and then, he wondered what life had been like if her life wasn't cut so short. It was highly likely that they could have gotten their happy ending just like the rest of their friends.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Jason shrugged carelessly. "She's gotten annoying as hell about this kind of stuff especially now that she's ready to pop out the baby anyday now. With all those hormones, she's convinced that I'm gonna leave her for every decent-looking female that I ever interact with."

Troy smiled sadly. "I don't understand why you don't just ask Boss for a week off or something. The due date is approaching soon, right?"

"Yep. You know Boss though. God knows what the man would do if I asked for a week off," Jason shuddered at the thought.

As if on cue, Troy heard Boss' screechy voice call for Cross to hit the stage and deliver his mirror labyrinth presentation.

"Gotta go, man," Jason said with a quick wave before realizing he forgot to mention something. "Oh! By the way, my new assistant said he wanted to meet with you or something like that."

Jason watched as Troy frowned with confusion and merely shrugged. "I dunno either, man. He's one of those stereotypical computer nerds and he said he wanted a second opinion on an invention he's been thinking of or something like that. I really don't know, so just pay him a visit if you do have the time."

"_Ookay_," Troy finally replied with hesitation. "Sounds very odd, but I'll do as you say."

Jason nodded firmly, "Catch ya later, man! By the way, Nikki's approaching."

Jason doubled over in laughter as he noticed the horrified expression that graced Troy's features at the sight of the plump woman staggering through the crowd of people in search of him.

Troy cringed, instantly surveying his surrounding for the closest exit before the woman noticed his presence. He made a mental note to himself to let her go sometime in the nearby future and hire a new assistant just as Jason had, preferably one that didn't make him feel this uncomfortable.

Jason flashed him a toothy smile, grinning as he made his way toward the curtains. "Run, man! Run like the wind. I don't think she can see her toes, so escape while you can!"


	4. Time Traveling

**EDIT:** For those of you wondering about La Dolce Vita, I have writer's block for the story. Since reader's response for that story declined, I've been unmotivated to continue writing it. However, I will try to get an update for that out on Veteran's Day (my next day off).

**AN:** So sorry for my infrequent updates. Anyone still remember this story? I wouldn't be surprised if everyone forgot all about this by now.

**The Butterfly Effect: ** a metaphor that encapsulates the idea that if one were to make small changes, while going back to the past, the resulting changes to the present would be large and various.

* * *

Troy breathed heavily, dodging objects as he turned a corner and sped down a corridor. He had been running from his assistant Nikki for the past five minutes, hoping to get rid of her while at the same time find Jason's new assistant. If Jason's assistant was on task, he would have to be inside Room 666 of the multistory building.

Walking through the hallway of the sixth floor, Troy's blue eyes scanned the room numbers until he spotted the correct room. Glancing over his shoulder once more to make sure Nikki was not dead on his tail, Troy let out a sigh of relief when he saw no trace of Nikki. He raised his knuckle to knock gently against the wooden surface of the door. His ears heard the soft murmur saying, 'Come in.'

Troy's hand twisted the knob, slowly pushing the door open. Stepping inside the room, Troy's eyes landed on the back of a figure sitting in a chair. The man in the swivel chair spun around to face Troy, flashing him a wide smile.

"Hello," The man's squeaky voice greeted Troy. Troy raised an eyebrow at the man's high pitched voice and his appearance. The man wore glasses, a dress shirt, a bow tie, khakis, and mismatched shoes. The man had bushy eyebrows and a mini Jew-fro - an afro that could never rival Chad's, Troy noted. As the guy stood up to shake Troy's hand, Troy also observed that he was a few inches shorter than him.

"Troy Bolton," Troy stuck out his hand to shake the man's hand.

"Moses," The man's answer caused Troy to chuckle dryly.

"So, you're Jason's new assistant..."

"You bet I am!" The quirky man replied before sniffling, digging into his pocket for a handkerchief, "Graduated from Stanford in '10."

Troy stiffened as the mention of the school stimulated more distracting thoughts of Gabriella.

"Heard you went to Berkeley!" Moses snickered. "Our schools were rivals."

"Yeah," Troy remarked offhandedly. "I know."

The grin on Moses' face slowly faded as his face contorted into a serious expression.

"All right Mr. Bolton, I'll cut to the chase. I have a favor to ask of you. I have been running some experiments in my lab as of lately in order to finalize my plans for a certain invention. I was explaining the idea of my innovation to Mr. Cross earlier this afternoon but he seemed rather skeptical of my suggestions. He insisted that I get a second opinion on the matter from you," Moses explained. "And so I request that you take some time to listen to my idea."

Troy's eyes cast down upon his watch to check the time. Shrugging his shoulders, he replied, "Well, the only event I was scheduled for today was the presentation. And since I already screwed that up, I have nothing better to do so... why not."

Moses's eyes brightened at his response and his mouth formed into a wide smile.

"Great! Thank you Mr. Bolton! Take a seat," Moses ushered him into the seat across from his table. Troy complied, walking around his desk before plopping down onto the chair.

"You now have my undivided attention," Troy proclaimed.

"Spectacular!" Moses exclaimed before clearing his throat and adjusting his 'fro. "I'll start this off with a general question - do you believe in alternate or parallel realities? You know, the belief that several parallel universes coexist within our own existence?"

Troy stared blankly at the man whose doe eyes stared at him with curiosity.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Troy responded. "That wasn't a rhetorical question?"

Moses took another deep breath. "Look, I know you probably think I'm some nutcase right now but _please_, all I ask is that you hear me out on this. Back to alternate universes - the formal definition of one would be universes that are separated from one another by a single quantum event. As you may know, this is a very hot topic that scientists have been looking into for the last few years. Substantial evidence has been accumulated to support this theory, leading me to experiment ways in which to... well... you could say 'mess around' with the order of the universe."

Troy blinked, unable to formulate a response. _Holy shit, Jason hired a psycho_.

"You must know what I'm going to say next, don't you?" Moses smiled weakly. "Humans have tried to do this for centuries and the possibility of this has plagued the minds of physicists since the development of the twin paradox. Mr. Bolton, I do boldly declare that after years of research with some of my old colleagues, I may have developed a gadget that allows one to do the impossible - _time travel_."

Troy stood up, heading for the door.

"I think I've heard enough, Moses. I have not been feeling particularly well this after noon, so if you'll excuse me-"

"NO!" Moses sprang out of his seat, running to block the exit from his office. "WAIT, JUST LISTEN TO ME. I know this sounds outrageous-"

"Ridiculous," Troy spat, lifting his hand to move Moses out of his way. "Time travel is impossible. I've seen enough Back to the Future movies to cement my belief that such a thing is nonexistent."

"I know that as of now, it may seem ridiculous but _please_ Mr. Bolton, I beg of you, stay! If you have your doubts, let me at least prove it to you that I am not kidding about my development. My findings are very legitimate and I was hoping to undergo a test run sometime this week-"

"Moses," Troy muttered his name in a gruff tone, "Today is really _not _the day for this."

"Why not?" The level of Moses' tone rose as his nostrils flared in anger. "It has not even been five minutes and you're already attempting to escape the room. You haven't even heard me out yet!"

"You are absolutely insane."

"Maybe I am!" Moses cried out. "But you'll never know for sure lest you at least get a _glimpse_ of my machine."

"You have a machine?" Troy laughed sarcastically, "Oh, this is rich. Jason fired the blonde for some dillusional nut."

Moses sighed deeply, realizing that he must change his tactics if he wanted any recognition.

"Look, haven't you ever done something you regret? Do you ever wish you could fix an error or, better yet, erase the past?"

"Yes," Troy answered firmly. "I've wished this every single day of my life but that doesn't mean it's possible."

"What if it was, Troy? What if you really _could_ go back in time and fix something? Physics has never proved this impossible. In fact, recent findings have only rendered evidence that state that this is in fact possible!"

Troy sighed in annoyance, his hand rubbing his burning temple.

"Look, Moses. If you're so certain that you have created a 'time traveling machine' then why don't you find another guy to prove it to? I have a long drive to Albuquerque tonight, and I could really use some time to rest before it."

"Albuquerque?" Moses cocked an eyebrow, pursing his lip. "Why are you driving there?"

Troy's face remained stolid. "To visit a certain someone who I visit on this day every year."

"Please, Mr. Bolton. Let me just prove to you that I'm not crazy. Come with me into the lab room and I'll show you the invention I speak so fondly of. I promise you that if at any time you feel that my invention's a hoax, you can urge Mr. Cross to fire me on the spot."

Troy remained silent, simply staring at Moses' pleading face.

"C'mon, Mr. Bolton. What have you got to lose? I can prove it to you that this is real. In fact, I can prove it to you in less than two minutes. I promise I will take up no more than five minutes of your time!" Moses folded his hands and attempted to pull the puppy dog eyes trick on him.

Troy shoved his hand in front of his face, stopping Moses.

"Please don't even start with that. That look has worked for only a few people in my life and you're not one of them."

Moses' pout faded as his sad face was replaced with an angry look.

"You know what, _fine_. If you're close minded enough to reject my offer of showing you something that may become an integral part of our future and, perhaps, even a commercial product fifty years from now… then so be it," Moses grumbled. "I'll find another less shortsighted individual to give me a second opinion."

Right as Moses was about to turn his back around, Troy gave in.

"Moses, wait-"

Moses eyes lit up in hope as he focused on Troy, silently hoping he would finally change his mind.

"Oh, what the hell. Show me the machine," Troy said in a monotone.

Moses smirked, clamping his hands together in satisfaction, "Why certainly, Mr. Bolton. I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

"A copy machine?" Troy asked incredulously as Moses nodded vigorously. "Your so called 'time machine' is a copy machine."

Troy scoffed, "I knew you were a sham."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're way too bitter and hostile for your age?" Moses remarked, using his fingers to dial numbers in the machine.

"I have my reasons."

Moses bit his lip in concentration, plugging in wires. "So what terrible ungodly thing happened to you that made you so jaded?"

"You were born."

Moses narrowed his eyes, not appreciating the jab. "Ha-ha, funny," He replied sarcastically. "But I'm serious. What in the world turned you into such an unpleasant human being?"

Troy sighed dejectedly, leaning against the copy machine with his elbows propped up against the machine.

"Today's just not a good day for me, all right?"

"Is it cuz you fainted?"

"Sure."

After finishing the set-up, Moses flicked the on button in the machine, causing it to light up and vibrate. "Voila!"

"Now, I'm going to put in an object into this machine. I've already put in the time and date, so the object will disappear and then reappear after the time has elapsed," Moses explained, grabbing the pen that sat in his pocket and placing it onto the machine.

"Ookay," Troy said with a hint of skepticism as he leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms.

After pressing a few more buttons, Moses slammed the cover back on the copy machine. The machine rumbled as smoke emitted.

Troy's eyes widened at the sight of the steam coming from the machine.

"Holy crap, that looks as if it's going to blow up-"

"No worries, my prediction included excessive steam," Moses stated nonchalantly, smiling. "Actually, this probably isn't helping the fragile environmental state our earth is in right now," Moses paused in an afterthought. "I hope it doesn't start snowing out of nowhere tomorrow morning."

"Moses, this isn't funny-"

"Will you _relax_? I set the time 1 minute into the future. The pen should miraculously pop out of thin air within," Moses glanced down at his timer, "30 seconds."

"I still have my doubts."

"Well, those doubts are about to be erased when the falling pen pokes your eye out."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Troy remarked dubiously.

"Splendid, I'm highly confident that this will work," Moses scanned the scribbles written on the sheet of paper on his clipboard which contained his calculations. "I'm 99 percent sure that the pen will fall in three, two, one-"

As the timer hit one minute, a pen reappeared and plopped down on the floor. Troy's mouth hung dumbly as his eyes remained fixed on the pen that disappeared and reappeared within his sight.

Losing his composure, he stared at Moses, frightened. "What kind of fucking magic trick was that?"

Moses merely chuckled, bending his knees to lift up the tangible object that made the trip through time. "There's no need for the coarse language, Mr. Bolton. There's no magic involved. It's simply science."

"Oh, I know science. Trust me, I've been surrounded my people whose lives revolve around science. And _that," _Troy pointed at the object resting in Moses' hands, "Is not science."

"You're still in denial," Moses declared.

Troy deadpanned, "I'm either hallucinating or still dreaming. Maybe I never woke up from when I fainted and this is all part of some nightmare."

"This is not a nightmare, Troy," Moses yelled, addressing him by his first name for the very first time. "This is a scientific breakthrough! I've just proved to you that my results are legitimate and that this machine is capable of traveling back and forwards through time. Can you even fathom the significance of this? Why, it will change the world! When Gizmos Inc learns about this, it will no doubt become the top corporation in the United States! Hell, in the world!"

Troy's migraine sent ripples of pain through his forehead.

"I have to go. I need some Advil before my drive and some fresh air," Troy muttered before opening the door and exiting.

Moses followed after him, screaming, "I know you wish you could change the past, Troy! We all wish for it! You'll be back – I know you will!"

Troy said nothing as he ran a hand through his light brown hair and walked slowly out of the doors, knowing fully well that Moses was right.


End file.
